European battery storage and renewable energy developer Aukera Energy has commissioned the first, 150 MW phase of its Gura battery energy storage system (BESS) in Romania’s Ialomiţa county.
The facility marks Aukera’s first operational BESS project in Romania and a significant step in the delivery of its flagship 250 MW/500 MWh Gura project, according to a press release from the company.
The project was brought online within just 12 months of receiving ready-to-build status, representing one of the fastest project deliveries in the Romanian market, Akura said.
Phase two of the Gura project, with an additional 100 MW, will soon be under construction and is expected to be delivered by the end of 2026, the company revealed, noting that the project is supported through Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Aukera intends to start building a further 800 MW of BESS in the next six to nine months
Over the next six to nine months, Aukera plans to bring an additional 800 MW of BESS into construction, reinforcing its position as a leading developer and operator of battery storage infrastructure in the country, it stressed.
Aukera noted that Romania’s renewable generation capacity is expanding rapidly, making the need for large-scale flexibility, particularly battery storage, a national priority, with strong support from the government, the transmission system operator, and international lenders and investors.
Catalin Breaban, Co-Founder of Aukera, noted that Gura is one of Romania’s largest battery storage facilities, adding that the company has a substantial pipeline ahead.
“Romania has exceptional renewable energy potential, and the next stage of this evolution will depend on how storage infrastructure evolves alongside that growth,” Breaban said at the commissioning ceremony.
Romanian power producers are developing several gigawatts of battery storage
Electricity producers in Romania, including state-owned hydropower giant Hidroelectrica, are currently advancing projects for several gigawatts of battery storage – for integration with existing power plants or built as part of hybrid power plants, or as standalone facilities.
